The Story of Esau and Jacob Reconciled

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The Story of Esau and Jacob Reconciled

Genes8 32:1-31

Esau could not believe his littlebrother had tricked him a secondtime! First, Jacob had taken hisbirthright, all the riches Isaac wouldhave left him. Then Jacob had stolen

his blessing, God's protection for thefuture. Esau was so angry, he decidedto kill his brother.

Rebekah found out about Esau'splan and warned Jacob. "You willhave to go far away. Go and stay withmy family," she told him. Jacobpacked his things, quickly said good-bye, then disappeared into the desert.

By the time Esau heard about it,Jacob was long gone. He knew it wasuseless to try and follow. So Esaustayed with his parents, taking care ofthem in their old age.

Esau may not have had his father'sblessing, and he may have been foolishenough to trade his birthright for abowl of stew, but Esau knew it was anhonor to take care of his parents asthey grew older. Esau would keep thefamily strong until Jacob returned.

After twenty years in his mother'sland, the day finally came when Jacobthought he should go home. He hadtwo wives, several children andhundreds and hundreds of sheep andgoats.

As Jacob came closer and closer tohome, he felt more and more nervousabout Esau. Would his brother still beangry?

On the night before Esau was tomeet Jacob, he felt very small. It wasto become a night full of surprises,though, a night Jacob would never forget.

As Jacob stood alone under thestars, worrying and praying, a mancame from out of the desert. It wasdark and Jacob could not see who theman was. It was not Esau. Whoever itwas, the man was very strong and hewrestled with Jacob.

All night long the two grabbed andgrappled, rolling in the sand, over and over again, panting and heaving. Butneither seemed to win. They were ofequal strength. Then the strangertouched the bones in Jacob's hip,causing one bone to come loose.Jacob hurt from the loose bone.

The strange man said, "Let me go, itwill soon be sunrise."

Then Jacob knew who he was.

"This is no man," Jacob thought. "It iseither an angel or ... could it be? It isthe Lord God Himself."

"What is your name?" the strangerasked.

"Jacob."

"No, you are no longer Jacob. Yournew name is Israel, because you havestruggled with God and with men, andyou have won," the stranger said.

"And what is your name, please?"Jacob said.

The stranger did not answer. Heblessed Jacob. Suddenly, the strangerwas gone and Jacob knew he had seenGod face to face. The sky shone pinkand gold as Jacob limped back tocamp.

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